Letters to the Editor: Thanks to Alamogordo water and sewer

Help for deputy sheriff

This is about Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff J.R. Romo. On June 4, 2016 he responded to a call at Baca Campground in the Lincoln National Forest. When he arrived, he was attacked by two males. While defending himself and apprehending the two males, he severely injured his shoulder and upper arm.

His injury required surgery and extensive physical therapy. In October 2018 his doctor released him from further medical care, He has not received Workmans Comp benefits since the first week of November 2018.

I would like your readers to know the plight of the Romo family. He was the primary breadwinner of his family. He has served the citizens of New Mexico for 38 years as a law enforcement officer. He became a Lincoln County Deputy in March 2007.

A GoFundMe page is set up for J.R. and asking for any financial help. On the GoFundMe page website use there search engine and enter J.R Capitan, New Mexico.

Susanne O'Malley

Alto, New Mexico

A Starring Role in Our Economy

In New Mexico, we are blessed with beautiful weather, incredible natural and historical wonders and a welcoming and diverse culture. Over time, New Mexico has worked to utilize these strengths to develop New Mexico's recognition by the film industry, both nationally and internationally. The time has come for us to triple our commitment to attracting new opportunities and investment in New Mexico. The film industry serves as an important economic driver all across the state, providing jobs to thousands of New Mexicans — from the City of Las Vegas, where New Mexico film was first established, to Roswell; from Alcalde to the Pueblo of Zia; and from Albuquerque, where Netflix recently purchased ABQ Studios, to Las Cruces.

The current $50 million annual cap on tax credits to production companies and the millions upon millions in backlogged rebates create the perception that we are not meeting our obligation to the industry, when in reality, even during tough economic times, we have supported a New Mexico film crew that has grown from 20 members at its inception to over 3,000 today. This year, legislation is being proposed by both the senate and the house of representatives that would eliminate the rebate incentive cap for the film industry. Additionally, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has expressed support for legislative action that would allocate funds to pay off the backlog, to ease any uncertainty in the minds of film producers that New Mexico is ready for action.

We must continue to support the growth of the film industry in our state. We must continue to foster opportunities on both sides of the cameras (and aisle), so that talented New Mexicans don't have to leave the state to find work. We must also continue to expand film programs and courses at every level to ensure that our students are learning the most current skills and techniques. We must appeal to moviemakers in Latin American and other global markets to form new partnerships. We must make New Mexico the entertainment production state that we set out to make it so that our economy thrives and our robust infrastructure and talented workforce are put to use.

This week, we are celebrating film week, which features panels, presentations and an educators' conference in honor of New Mexico's rich history, exciting present and promising future in the film industry, from rising stars to those who have passed on. In the senate, I have sponsored two memorials to celebrate New Mexico's many years in film. The first, Senate Memorial 71, declaring February 25, 2019 "Film Day", commemorates the prominent New Mexicans, locations and films that are being recognized by the New Mexico film and television hall of fame for their significant contributions to New Mexico film. The second, Senate Memorial 89, commemorates one hundred twenty years of film production in the state and expresses support for the future of the film industry in New Mexico.

Our state is on the cusp of realizing our potential as a hub for feature film and television production and of reaping the rewards of our initiatives. The film industry continues to look at legislation upon which to build its success and further collaborate with the state. It is imperative that we continue to invest in the film industry for the benefit and long-term investment that our state receives in return. The investment in the film tax credits and other incentives will ensure that New Mexico remains competitive on the national stage.

Sen. Pete Campos

No to food tax

I am writing to respond to the recent article “Should NM cities, counties tax food?” The short answer is no, they should not.

As the article notes, there is no way to tax food without harming low-income families. The legislature’s own analysis, a 2017 study by Ernst and Young, found that the food tax would hit families making between $15,000 to $39,000 a year three times harder than families earning more than $200,000.

Moreover, one of the core purposes of tax reform is to make New Mexico’s tax system more like the tax structures of other states. Taxing food would take New Mexico in a very different direction from the vast majority of states. Two-thirds of the states (34) do not impose a sales tax on groceries, including our neighbors in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas. The only states that continue to fully tax food at both the state and local level are Alabama and Mississippi.

When the food tax was repealed in 2004, city and county governments were held harmless for the reduction in revenue. In 2013, the legislature and governor reneged on that promise to hold local governments harmless. They phased out the hold harmless payments as part of a complex tax package that was sloppily thrown together in the final hours of the legislative session.

A better approach than taxing food would be to restore the hold harmless payments to local governments. We are pleased that several legislators are working to pass a fix to the hold harmless payments this session – without taxing food.

Think NM

Thanks to Alamogordo water and sewer crew

It was Monday evening (25th), long after sunset, when I glanced out the window to see an Orinoco flow gushing down the street from one end to the other.

It was obvious there was a major water leak in the park. At 9 p.m. the repair crew from Alamogordo Water and Sewer Maintenance showed up to locate the source of the leak.

Once found, the crew began digging to fix it. I hit the sack. The next morning when I woke up the water crew was still working. About 9 a.m. repair was complete and the crew left.

Yup, they had been working 12 hours through the night to stem water losses and return water service to residents. And you know what? They now began their "normal work day."

Thanks, fellas, for your skill and dedication serving Alamogordo. You guys are great.